


Lithobates Sylvaticus

by Dodo



Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Frogs, Gardening, M/M, Steve Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, frozen flashbacks, steve gets upsetti
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-07 00:26:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18227438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dodo/pseuds/Dodo
Summary: Steve gets a little friend, he’s not sure if it was a joke or not, but he’s surprisingly happy about the whole thing, as this pet was the perfect pick me up in the new century.orTony gets Steve a frog as an ill thought out joke but Steve bonds to the little guy and is almost obsessive with the frog keep





	Lithobates Sylvaticus

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rowantreeisme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowantreeisme/gifts).



> Tony here isn't malicious with the frog, I'm sure we've all had associations that are mind draws and then act on them in the moment w/o stopping and thinking if we should.

When Tony mentioned he’d gotten Steve a gift, the first thing that had flitted through Steve’s mind was dispare. There was no way he could participate in the gifting wars Tony and Clint did, with that online service. He still really hadn’t managed to master the tablet. Resisting it since it made the whole alive seventy years in the future more real.

The second thing was price, how much did Tony spend on him? Tony had very expensive tastes. That and he lavished gifts on everyone. Steve would want to reciprocate and even with his back pay he was unsure he could get something Tony would like, or didn’t already have. So the idea of the gift was giving him anxiety, they’d become tentative friends after the whole chitauri incident. Though now there were occasional dates as well, going slow which was perfectly fine for Steve.

Steve wanted to follow through with the customs, even if he would probably suck with a gift war, or even suck at reciprocating. He would have to ask, maybe Bruce. Already worried about what the gift could be as Steve made it back to his floor. Bruce would help him plan the gift war or how to give back to Tony the man who seemingly had everything. Maybe a trip to coney island, did it still exist? He was at a loss on how taking Tony out there would count as a gift.

Seeing the gifts, Steve was even more unsure about it. They didn’t look like those odd gifts that came from the gifting wars. There was an assortment of plants on a tray, a book, and a fish tank. Steve bit his lip and looked around maybe there was something more? Was he missing something here? Maybe Tony wanted him to take up gardening? But Tony had all plastic plants in the penthouse. This was to confusing, why couldn’t Tony use his words more?

His room was pretty empty as he looked around, it's not like he had a lot of belongings. Maybe Tony wanted him to spruce up the place with some plants? That was really thoughtful, Steve did like a nice bit of greenery harking back to the days he was too sick to go outside, they had a spider plant. He could run his fingers down it's striped leaves, think about being outside whilst he played with the plant.

The green plants were refreshing to see as most of the trees had shed their fall colorations, winter was not Steve’s favorite season. Maybe Tony knew that? His runs had been shorter and he’d spent more time running on the treadmill inside. Trying to avoid any flashbacks in the cold, definitely couldn’t do that in public. Steve rogers terrified of snow, couldn’t let anyone know.

The aquarium tank though, maybe some fish? Steve wasn’t sure about fish, for one the bag of dirt, even though the plants were already potted. There was a special lamp doohickey as well. He looked down at the table to see a container with holes punched in it. Oh maybe it was a terrarium for an animal. That made more sense, than fish. 

Upon lifting the container to check on the animal, Steve felt his stomach drop. The little frog was frozen, he almost dropped the container. Backing up into a corner and curling up on the container, one hand spasming as he pried the lid off. The frog was frozen solid, using a finger to prod at the cold and clammy back. Steve bit his lip trying to muffle his sobs, upset that the frog was dead. Frozen like him.

Steve was so lost in his own icey misery he didn’t here Tony at first. The container was pried out of his trembling hands. Tony was stroking his hair for a bit and then urged Steve to get up and they sat at the table where the frozen frog was placed. Tony was apologizing, not for the frog but not being present when Steve got his presents. Something about a impromptu meeting, inspiration, and JARVIS alerting him.

Steve took a deep breath in trying to reign in the feelings of cold ice prickling under his skin, quelling his desire to die. He struggled for a few more bigger breaths that sounded wet to his ears. Tony had to see him like this, he was ashamed. Though also comforted by Tony lightly touching his back, rambling to him about nonsense something to focus on as Steve regained his emotions.

“It's a wood frog, he’s not dead. I admit the frozen part might have been a little ill planned on my part.”  
Tony was frowning at the container, Tony’s hand was leaving Steve’s arm and he stopped it with his other hand, grabbing at Tony’s. Tony looked at Steve.  
“Since Bruce is allergic to both cats and dogs I figured this would do? I got everything you need to set up a nice house for him. There is even a book. I know you like books.”  
Steve nodded slowly, he’d wanted an animal but there had been restrictions, which was probably for the best as they had strange hours and often time missions could last weeks.

“So set up the aquarium and then hold this guy in your hand for a bit,”  
Tony rapped the tank with his knuckles and made another attempt to leave. Steve refused to let go tugging Tony into his space for a hug.  
“Thank you Tony.”  
Steve held on to Tony for a bit longer than normal, but he really needed it to further ground him, and Tony wasn’t even wiggling. Steve took that as a good sign, he did eventually release the other. Said the goodbyes and settle in with the tank set up.

He’d kept the spider plant to himself leaving it on his side table for nostalgia. Some of the other plants didn’t fit in the tank at all so He’d carefully placed them around his rooms. The tank sat atop his dresser in the bedroom, he’d followed the books suggestion with the special lamp. Steve was currently holding the frog in his bare hands watching it slowly adjust. He was crying again as the frog started to really move it's limbs. Feeling elated as the little frog moved around on his palm, then watching it hop off into the tank.

Steve picked up his tablet after placing the lid on the aquarium, searching google for wood frog, and opening many tabs to learn more about his new friend. He was halfway through his twentieth article when JARVIS chimed for the team dinner. He had a notepad next to him filled with plants and idea, some sketches of future tank setups. He carefully set everything aside as he went to the team dinner.

A week in and Steve had several terrariums set up, almost one in every room. They made a nice focal point and each one featured a different theme. When he had Bruce over to help him figure out a way to gift Tony back, the other had been enthralled with his Hulk themed one. Complete with a little ceramic Hulk. There was a lot of moss in that one and apparently it pleased the big guy as well.  
“Something handmade, would be the best gift for Tony.”

They spent some time talking about Steve’s frog who had yet to be named. Steve was leaning to name the frog Bucky but also still felt really bad about that so he waffled on it. After a long talk with Bruce on a number of thing Steve decided to name the frog Monet. A safe middle ground for a name, and the terrariums did make great painting studies. 

He set to making a gift for Tony in thanks for the frog, the hobby and the morning rituals that helped him stay grounded in the future. He’d made an account on an amphibian forum, and spent a few minutes perusing the boards for ideas and to share his terrariums. The frog had really helped which still floored Steve how the little guy managed to do so much for him. Steve spent the better part of some of his bad days watching the frog climb up the glass or wiggle under the dirt.

He liked to feed Monet with a set of tweezers dangling food in front and watching Monet go to town on the food. He rotated his friend through different takes every week. Though the tank that the frog was in stayed in his bedroom. There was nothing quite like waking up to a nightmare and hearing the chirps of a frog. Steve found it soothing, and it helped him shake off the vestiges of the nightmare faster. The sensory input of the frog chirps, outside; with the sensation of the bed below him, inside. It really helped tell his subconscious he was still in the avengers tower. 

Steve smiled at the frog as he finished the knitted thing that he’d found online, he’d looked for a frog. Found a lot of creepy looking ones before he found a pattern for the poison dart frogs, which had fueled a night of online research on them. Still convinced his Monet was better even if the dart frogs were wild colors. He bought the pattern and didn’t look back.

Now he had a small army of less than perfect ironman frogs. Tony had stated his pet was Dum-E but Steve knew better, the bots were more like children to Tony than pets. Even if Dum-E adored the game of fetch. He decided the little yarn critters would be best as Tony often forgot to feed himself and Steve would hate to see his boy friend accidently neglect something to death.

Steve carefully packed the knitted fogs in a box as he traveled down to the common room. Using JARVIS to help hide some of them in places Tony would find them, he took the remaining two down to the lab. He gave one to Dum-E telling the bot to help him hide it. Dum-E spun around beeping happily and then motored away to hopefully follow directions, but Steve didn’t mind if the bot kept the frog.

“Hey Tony, Thank you for the frog.”  
He offered the tiniest Ironman frog to Tony who held it in his palm.  
“You made this? The detail is fantastic.”  
Tony was holding the small thing reverently as he lifted his hand up to see the tiny arc reactor bead nestled in the woven structure.  
“I made seven of my favorite suits into frogs, the rest are hidden. Where Iron frogs like to be.”  
Tony offered him a grin and placed the Frog on a shelf out of harm's way in the lab.

“A treasure hunt? You are on Steve.”  
Tony wiggled his fingers and then wrapped an arm around Steve and they made their way out of the lab. The future wasn’t too bad, anymore Steve thought even though he missed his older family; he had a new one now. It was time to live in the now.


End file.
